Oklahoma man accused of debit card scam in Nebraska, Kansas

Feb. 27, 2018

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Oklahoma City man jailed in Nebraska on state charges alleging that he tried to trick a credit union into giving him a $4,000 cash advance now faces a raft of federal charges accusing him of carrying out several other scams.

Prosecutors allege in court documents filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Omaha that Sherman Clemons presented bogus prepaid debit cards and identification at credit unions and banks in Bellevue, Lincoln and Seward, Nebraska, and in Wichita, Kansas. The institutions suffered $25,000 in actual losses, and potential losses in Clemons' thwarted attempts added up to $47,000, the federal documents said.

When the bank or credit union tellers determined the cards he presented weren't sufficiently funded for the cash advances he sought, he'd direct them to call a phone number on the back of the cards to get funding confirmation, according to the documents. The calls were actually routed to an unknown conspirator who lied to the tellers about the cards having enough funding for the advances.

Clemons, 35, faces seven federal charges, including conspiracy to commit fraud and bank and credit union fraud. The documents don't list the name of an attorney representing him in the federal case.

He has pleaded not guilty to Nebraska charges of identity theft and attempted theft by deception and is scheduled to stand trial April 24. His attorney in that case, Christina Marroquin, declined to comment Tuesday.

It's unclear whether the state case in Seward County will be dropped in favor of the federal prosecution. County Attorney Wendy Elston was not in the office Tuesday and didn't immediately reply to a phone message.